The White House has announced that the 50 percent duty on Turkish steel imports has been halved to 25 percent as of May 17. In a statement, the administration said that since the implementation of the higher tariff, steel imports from Turkey declined 48 percent in 2018, “with the result that the domestic industry’s capacity utilization has improved at this point to approximately the target level recommended” in the initial DOC report... Read More

Global long steel market mostly unstable despite supply-demand equilibrium
A balance has been maintained between supply and demand in the global long steel products market, but it is still difficult to transact business globally. However, shorter-distance regional business is good. The global market can be described as mostly unstable, with only a few exceptions.
Absence of Chinese still provides support for the rest of the world
We have to take into... Read More

The European Commission has transferred the quotas under “other countries” and “all third countries” which were unused between February 2 and March 31 to the “other countries” quotas for the April 1-June 30 period as of May 2.
Accordingly, an additional volume of 19,704 mt has been added to the “other countries” rebar quota, which had been quickly used up in early April when the “other countries” quotas became available to all... Read More

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) has recommended final safeguard duties for only two steel products, i.e., heavy plate and stainless steel wire, from among the seven steel products that have already been subject to provisional safeguard duties since October 2018. For the remaining five products, the CITT has either found no increase in imports or found that imports have not harmed the Canadian steel industry.
In October 2018, Canada... Read More

As of April 1, 2019, the European Commission’s steel import quotas for “other countries” have become accessible to all countries, while the unused quotas of “other countries” for the February 2-March 31 period have also become accessible to all countries which have used up their own quotas for the period.
Accordingly “other countries” import quotas, for the period between April 1 and June 30, stand at 133,004 mt for rebar, and at 74,518... Read More

Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced on Monday he has renewed a 15 percent tariff over certain steel imports from China and other countries with which Mexico does not have trade agreements. The decision was published on March 25th at local official gazette Diario Oficial Federal (DOF), covering 175 products. The tariff will be effective on March 26th.
The renewed 15 percent import tariff covers imports of slab, CRC, HRC, heavy plate... Read More

Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade has announced that traders will not be able to export long steel products from Iran.
According to market sources; the Iranian government will only allow steel producers and the producers who have official representatives in foreign countries to export reinforcing bars, wire rods, angles and beams.
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Positive mood prevails in global long steel products market despite virus of protectionism
The global long steel products market is currently in a positive mood amid good demand worldwide. Had there not been protectionist actions like additional tariffs, quotas or safeguard measures, the global business scenario would be much better. Protectionism is like a virus, expanding and hurting the international trade environment as we knew it.
Canada and... Read More

Mexico’s ministry of economy announced yesterday that it will renew a provisional 15 percent tariff against imports of several steel products from countries with which the nation does not have existing trade agreements. The tariff will last for six months, and apply to imports of slab, CRC, HRC, heavy plate and wire rod. The tariff previously expired on Jan. 31, 2019.
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Canadian finance minister Bill Morneau has exempted NAFTA ally Mexico from controversial safeguard measures on imports of energy tubular products and wire rod, as reported by Canada-based CBC News. Accordingly, the imports of these products from Mexico will no longer cost an extra 25 percent, effective as of February 2, 2019. The duties already paid by Mexican steel purchasers will be refunded.
Finance minister Morneau’s spokesperson Pierre-Olivier... Read More